Written by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 examโขWritten by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated September 2025
Definition
The super keyword is used in Java to refer to the superclass of a subclass. It allows access to the superclass's methods, constructors, and instance variables.
Constructors are special methods used to initialize objects. When creating a subclass, you can use the super keyword to call the constructor of its superclass.
Subclasses are classes that inherit properties and behaviors from another class called the superclass. The super keyword is often used in subclasses to access members of their superclass.
Inheritance is a concept in object-oriented programming where one class inherits properties and behaviors from another class. The super keyword plays an important role in implementing inheritance by allowing access to superclass members.